Disclaimer ~ I own nothing besides the plot.
A.N.~ I know its been a really long time but too be honest this was the chapter from hell. This chapter has a lot going on in it. We get a look into Antonin and his crazy mind, I should warn you that in order to write Antonin I had to be a little crude in my writing so I will mark the area just so I do not offend anyone who may not want to read about his version of the rape. Also we have a very sweet Hermione and Draco moment and a lot more so I hope you enjoy it.
* marks area that may be considered sensitive material to some. As I have said before I do not mean to offend anyone and I hope that I don't but I just want to make sure.
They had spent the rest of the night dancing, talking, and laughing together. They discussed his childhood and the many different sides of being a Malfoy. He told her all about his childhood and what it was like to be raised in the wizarding world. They discussed her family and her life before learning that she was a witch. He seemed very interested in certain aspects of muggle life telling her so and stating that he had always been curious but new what would happen if he made his wonderings known.
Gaining knowledge and knowing everything had always been something Draco enjoyed and knowing that he didn't know anything about the world outside of the magical one, infuriated him. Hearing this caused her to want to educate him on all things muggle, so they got themselves drinks and sat on one of the couches to talk some more. They spent the rest of the night talking about the differences between the muggle world and the magical one, with Hermione answering all of his questions.
By the time the party was close to ending, they had been joined by Blaise, Daphne, Astoria, Harry, Ron, and Ginny. All of who had walked over at different times, mostly to make sure that they weren't imagining the scene in front of them. Hermione Granger and Draco Malfoy not only being civil to one another but actually laughing and having a grand time was not a normal thing.. Sure they had all noticed the two being cordial at school, and Harry and Ron new from their experience that day in the classroom that the two had become acquaintances, but they figured it had to do with their heads status and the fact that they had to work together. This however was proof that what they shared was more then just a simple colleague type relationship but a real, actual friendship.
For Blaise, Daphne, and Astoria, the fact that this muggleborn witch was able to cut through the hard, icy demeanor of their best friend was shocking. Very few people saw this side of Draco Malfoy and those who did were people who he had known and trusted his entire life. For Harry, Ron, and Ginny, the fact that their school long enemy had been able to bring out the fun, carefree side of Hermione, baffled them. Even when it was just the four of them they usually had to beg her to let loose a bit and have fun. Hermione was overly studious and her idea of a good time was studying, no talking, no laughter, just sitting quietly and reading a book. So it was a bit baffling for all of them to see their friends sitting there talking, and laughing together as if it were an every day occurrence. After a few awkward moments though they all got involved in the conversation and were soon sharing stories like they were old friends, causing many of the adults in the room to watch them with almost hopeful looks on their faces. It looked to them as if history would not repeat itself and finally the idealistic beliefs that the purity of ones blood defined who they were would finally be put to rest.
It was soon time to return to the castle, both of them saying their goodbyes before joining the professors to return to the school. After they wished both the Headmaster and Professor Snape a pleasant sleep Draco escorted them back to their dorm where they decided to finish their chat.
"Hermione. I would love to continue our chat but I think we should probably shower and change first." Hermione nodded her head in agreement.
"I agree. Why don't you use the shower first. I still need to put away my things from earlier, and you seem to be much quicker then I in the shower." It was true it seemed as if he was coming out just moments after he went in. She couldn't understand how anyone could shower so quickly. Besides she wanted to have a bit of time to herself to contemplate everything that had transpired this evening.
"Well I can't imagine its easy to wash all that hair of yours. Thats probably where most of your time goes." He laughed, as she picked up a throw pillow and chucked it at him, hitting him in the face. "Hey now! You know I was just kidding, no need to throw things." He placed the pillow back on the sofa and headed towards the stairs. "I'll see you in a bit." He said before disappearing up them. Hermione soon followed heading into her room. She could hear the shower start as she shut her door and started to magically put away all of her things, tidying up the somewhat messy room. When that was done she stripped down to nothing and in the process of grabbing her robe she caught sight of herself in the mirror. She took in her naked form, noticing that her skin was once again a creamy white, not a single bruise or even the remnants of one still lingered. She continued to stare at herself, not really sure why. She studied herself closely and wondered what was possibly causing her to do so. She wasn't missing any limbs, no new freckles had formed, and all her bruising was gone. She looked just as she did in the beginning of the year, so why did she feel as if she was missing something vitally important. She shook her head, deciding not to dwell on it and threw her robe on. She had heard the shower stop and the door to Draco's room shut so she went in and took hers. After making sure every last inch was clean she got out, dried herself thoroughly, and slipped her robe back on. As she headed back into her room she noticed her reflection in the bathroom mirror and it was then that everything became clear. The reason she felt so strange when she saw herself, the feeling of something missing. She walked over and wiped the steam from the mirror and gazed into it in awe. "I'm not disgusted." She said out loud to herself. For the first time in months she didn't get disgusted by the sight of herself. Even in the shower she had not tried to scrub her skin raw trying to get the dirty feeling off of her. In fact for the first time in months she didn't feel dirty at all. The realization that she had taken yet another step forward in the healing process brought a smile to her face and made her think that maybe she could, one day be the same girl she once was.
"Hermione? Are you alright in there?" Hermione heard Draco's concerned filled voice coming from the other side of his door.
"Um yes Draco just heading into my room now." She called out quickly not wanting to alarm him any more then he may have already been. "I'll meet you down in the common room in a bit." She quickly entered her room and put on her favorite pair of pajamas, purple and black pants and matching button down top, her white fuzzy slippers, and threw her hair up in a sloppy bun, before heading down to meet Draco.
Draco, meanwhile, had been fighting with himself. They had, had such a lovely evening that he didn't want to ruin it with the knowledge of what he and Blaise had overheard. On the other hand he knew that if she found out about it some other way and then found out that he knew and didn't tell her, she would most likely avada him. With that thought he knew for a fact that he was going to tell her, the problem was when to actually do it. He was still thinking about it when Hermione appeared a few minutes later, unbeknownst to him. Hermione took a moment to study the young man in front of her. He had started a fire, and there were two mugs of hot cocoa and a plate of cookies on the table, most likely provided by Dobby. He was sitting on the floor in a set of pajamas very similar to her own only his were made from a very dark green silk. She watched as he stared into the flames, their reflection bouncing off of his still wet hair giving it an orangy tint. It was then that he chose to look up and catch her staring.
"See something you like?" He said teasingly. She smiled at him shyly, as she walked over and sat down next to him. They sat in silence for a few moments, each one lost in their own thoughts as they gazed into the fire. A small laugh from Hermione broke the spell and caused Draco to look over at the smiling girl. "Whats so funny?"
"This." She said. "Who would have thought that the two of us could ever sit in front of a fire together and not be trying to throw one another in it." Draco nodded in agreement.
"But at the same time who would have ever thought that we would ever go on a date together."
"True." She said softly, a light blush tinting her cheeks. "Just in case I didn't say it before I had a wonderful time tonight Draco." He looked over at her and smiled.
"So did I, once I was able to steal you back from your friends. What were you all so deep in conversation about anyways?" It took Hermione a second to understand what he was talking about, but as she remembered her conversation with Neville she was reminded of her need to talk to Draco on the matter.
"Oh yes, I had wanted to talk to you about our discussion, thank you for reminding me." She turned towards him, crossing her legs in front of her, and getting comfortable. She proceeded to tell him everything that Neville had said including the part about how there was not enough funding to enable the researchers to continue with their research. "Neville's grandmum wants the ministry to put the idea before the public to try to get funding however the wealthier wizards and witches are purebloods and well ..." She trailed off not wanting to say what was going through her mind at that moment.
"And most of them have used that curse more then they ever should have." Draco finished for her. Hermione nodded, keeping her eyes down as she did. She heard Draco sigh. "How much?" Hermione's head shot up.
"Excuse me?"
"How much would they need for the research?" He asked again.
"Um ... well lets see. I'm not sure what they actually need for the research itself but they will need a facility to do the research in, and they will need accommodations while they are here. The ministry can accommodate their wages but as for the rest I'm not so sure."
"Well housing them would not be an issue. I'm sure mother would allow them to use one of our properties for the duration of their stay." Hermione looked up at him surprised.
"Properties? You have more then one home in England?" Draco nodded.
"Yes. We have many properties, not only here but in France, Italy, and China as well. We are hoping to go to America to purchase a vacation property there as well. I'm sure they can use our cottage in Tinworth, after all it is just sitting there collecting dust. As for research facilities, Malfoy Enterprises has one of the largest and top potions labs in the entire wizarding world and I'm sure we can accommodate their research." Hermione just stared at him in awe. Sure, when she first mentioned it she had hoped that maybe his family could offer to throw a few gallons toward the cause, however the thought that he would offer to handle everything was a complete shock. She was so overcome with excitement that she jumped from her spot on the floor and threw herself into his arms, causing them to fall over with her laying on top of him. Draco lay there in shock as the girl above him squeezed him tightly to her in a massive hug.
"Oh Draco! You have no idea what your generosity will mean to everyone. Especially Neville! This could cure his parents! He could get his family back." She said leaning back and looking down at him. It was in this moment that Hermione realized their position, and how close their faces were to each others as she spoke. She watched as Draco's eyes shifted from her eyes to her lips and back again. She swallowed hard as she slowly backed away, sitting up, embarrassed. "Sorry bout that. I just got so excited, you know, about Neville and all." She could feel her face getting redder and redder as she watched Draco sit back up and smile at her. She was so embarrassed by her behavior that she started to ramble on and on. "You should do that more often! Smile that is. You have a nice smile." She stuttered out.
"I've never really had much to smile about, at least not until recently. I have you to thank for that." He said softly. "I have always liked your smile, even if it was never directed at me. Then again I was such a prat its not surprising that you wouldn't want to smile at me." Hermione didn't know what to say. He had been her biggest enemy for so long but now that she knew that it was mostly an act she didn't know really how to feel about those days.
"Draco? Why are you willing to help the researchers?" Draco sighed and looked back at the fire.
"There is no curse as horrible as the Cruciatus."
"What do you mean? The Imperius and killing curse are just as bad." Hermione said, confused by his words. Draco looked away from the fire and back to her.
"Are they? Think about it. The Cruciatus Curse is a curse of torture, inflicting excruciating pain on its victims. The pain it causes is worse then one thousand white-hot knives, boring into your skin. The pain literally consumes your entire being making you wish for death. That is why so many deatheaters use it before using the killing curse, because the killing curse is to easy. I mean sure you end up dead but its quick and painless on its own. The same goes for the Imperius Curse. It places the victim completely under the caster's control, but unlike the others a person with exceptional strength of will is capable of resisting it. Once again no pain is involved unless the caster wants you to feel it but a death eater would want you to truly feel the pain in your own state of mind so trying to cause you pain through the Imperius isn't likely." During his speech Hermione looked down as tears formed in her eyes. She remembered the pain he described as she had been crucioed that night. She hadn't noticed that he had stopped talking until he touched her arm, causing her to flinch back. "Are you alright?" She just stared at him for a moment before making the decision to tell him everything.
"He crucioed me. My attacker. I had never felt pain so horrible. Well at least not until he ..."
"Hermione, you don't have ... " Hermione held her hand up to stop him.
"Yes I do. You have been there for me since this all started and I think its time you knew what happened that night. I want you to know. I need you to know."
She took a deep breath and began. "I was a little bit early to our meeting spot so I decided to go have a drink. I had just entered the alley to the Three Broomsticks, and I was so busy thinking about the ball that I didn't even hear him come up behind me. He stunned me before he grabbed me and apparated us into the Shrieking Shack. I was so surprised that I didn't even realize that I was missing my wand." Hermione took another deep breath knowing that the next part of her story was to be the hardest. Draco, seeing her slight distress, but knowing that she needed to do this, reached forward and took her hand in his, giving it a gentle squeeze of encouragement. "He lifted the spell and thats when I realized my wand was gone, that he had it. I asked him who he was and what he wanted. As I told you before, he said he wanted Harry to pay for what he had done and that he was originally going to kill me but that he had changed his mind, that he had come up with something much worse." Hermione's grip on Draco's hand tightened and he watched as a tear slid down her face. "I knew what was coming. I could see it in the way he looked at me, as if I was some piece of meat for him to have. I tried to fight back. I swear I did but he was so strong and he kept crucioing me. The pain was excruciating, but I still tried to fight, even as he tore the clothes off of me, even as he hit me over and over, I still fought back." Hermione was fully sobbing at this point and Draco pulled her to him and held her close to his chest, gently stroking her hair.
"Herm ..."
"When he stole my innocence from me I just went numb and tried to separate myself from the situation. I must have blacked out at some point because the next thing I remember is waking up alone and in excruciating pain." She paused pulling back to look into Draco's eyes. "When you found me I was so ashamed. I couldn't believe that I had let something like that happen to me. All I could think about was how could anyone ever want or love a girl who was so used and dirty. When I saw myself in the mirror that night I just wanted to die and all I could think about was how my life was over. How I would never be able to come back from such a horrifying ordeal. How I would never be able to be me again." Hermione looked down at their interlocked fingers and sighed, before looking back up at him with a shy smile on her face. "But I was wrong Draco. These past couple of months you have made me see that I have nothing to be ashamed of, that I did nothing wrong. You have helped me in so many ways just by being there and I am so grateful. This evening when I saw myself in the mirror after my shower I wasn't disgusted by the sight of myself. In fact I have barely thought of the incident for the past few weeks. I mean I know that it happened and will most likely always be in the back of my mind, but its not running my life anymore Draco, and I have you to thank for that."
Draco stared down at her not knowing what to say. Over the past few weeks he had slowly watched as the fire and spark returned to her eyes and even now, with her eyes watery from her unshed tears he could see the life shining in them once again. He wasn't sure if it was that sign of life or her words that made him do what he did next, but he knew he would never regret it. Draco lifted his free hand and pushed back a fallen strand of hair before slowly tracing her jaw with his thumb before cupping her cheek and slowly bringing her face closer to his. He looked into her eyes almost as if he were asking for her permission before softly pressing his lips to hers. He braced himself waiting for her to panic and pull away but instead she started to kiss him back. It was gentle and sweet, everything a first kiss between two people should be, and as Draco pulled away he couldn't help but smile down at her. He watched as Hermione lifted her fingers to her lips and then looked at him, her own small smile forming.
"We should go to bed, we've had a long day, and you look tired." Hermione nodded, her eyes not leaving his and her fingers not leaving her lips. It seemed as if she was in some kind of daze and Draco chuckled lightly at her, causing her to snap out of it.
"Um ... yes bed. That sounds good." She said as she stood up, her mind still in a daze. "Are you coming?" Draco smiled at her.
"I'll go in a bit. I want to write mother about what we discussed so I can send it out first thing tomorrow."
"Oh. Alright. Well then I guess I'll see you in the morning. Good night Draco." She said shyly before Draco watched her hurry off to her room. When he heard her door shut he looked back at the fire and replayed the kiss in his head. He had been wanting to do that for quite sometime and it was well worth the wait. Her lips were everything he had imagined they would be, soft, warm pillows of deliciousness that he wouldn't mind tasting every day. The kiss was the perfect ending to a perfect night and he was happy that he was able to provide her with that. Unfortunately he knew that while today may have been perfect, tomorrow was going to be a whole other story. He was going to tell her everything tomorrow, from what he and Blaise had overheard that evening to the fact that he did in fact know who had attacked her. He was afraid of how she was going to react to it all, especially when he told her that they needed to tell the Order, or at the very least, Dumbledore. Draco shook his head and sighed, once again frustrated with the situation. Oh well. Nothing to be done about it tonight, best get off to bed, he thought. Draco got up, crossed the room to his desk to quickly pen a note to his mother, and then headed off to bed, to dream of soft lips and deep brown eyes.
"CRUCIO!" He yelled pointing his wand at the lifeless body on the floor. He didn't care that the naked, bruised, and battered girl had been dead for nearly an hour, he continued the unnecessary torture regardless. He was furious and the dead muggle before him had received the brunt of that anger. He collapsed to the floor, both mentally and physically exhausted and as usual quite disgusted with himself.
For Antonin Dolohov life didn't get much worse then this. His life as a pureblood had been lived just like it should have been, only having the best at all times. Whether it was his house, his robes, his acquaintances, it was always the best. Now though he had been reduced to tattered robes, minimal magic usage, and dingy surroundings and it was all because of some scarred freak and his sidekicks.
Antonin sneered at the mere thought of what had transpired last year. It wasn't possible. The plan was meticulous in nature. The young Malfoy would get them into the school using the vanishing cabinet, then he would destroy Dumbledore, and they would reign victorious. However they had been thwarted. The moment they entered the school they were surrounded and he had barely made it back into the vanishing cabinet and out of Borgins and Burkes before the establishment itself was swarming with Aurors. It was only a little while later that he had heard the news of the Dark Lord's demise. How in the world could a simple boy defeat the greatest dark wizard to ever grace the wizarding world? This question had plagued his mind since he had gone on the run and it wasn't until he saw her that he realized the answer. His original plan had been to kill The-Boy-Who-Lived. He knew that he would be returning for his final year at Hogwarts, so he decided to get him when he entered the train platform the first day. So he decided to prepare himself. He knew that his wands magic could be traced back to him so he went, found, and killed a random wizard, confiscating his wand to use in his mission. He knew that it wouldn't serve him the same way his own wand did but it would serve its purpose. Then he went to the station. He remembered that morning quite clearly, almost as if it was yesterday.
The day was bright and warm and he had found himself a spot hidden deep in the shadows of Platform 9¾. He had used some minor glamour charms to alter his appearance slightly just in case someone did see him. He stood there and waited watching as each student came through the barrier, waiting for Potter to arrive. It wasn't long until he saw him come through the barrier with two of the Weasley brats in tow. He was about to cast the spell that would rid the world of the annoying boy when a group of people ran up to the trio asking all types of ridiculous questions and obscuring Potter from his vision. Refusing to be discouraged by the minor set back he decided to wait a bit until he got another opportunity. It was in this time that he heard her name yelled across the platform.
"Mione!" He watched as the girl Weasley ran towards a girl who had just come through the barrier.
"Ginny!" The girl yelled back. It was then that Antonin realized that the girl was Potter's mudblood friend and according to the Prophet, the brains of the group. It was then that a new plan started to form in his mind. The mudblood was the key to getting Potter. She meant something to him and she played a large part in helping him in his quest to defeat the Dark Lord. He felt a devious smile light up his face as he thought of killing the girl. Not only would he destroy Potter by killing one of his best friends but he would be able to rid the world of one more mudblood. He would torture and then kill her, and then leave her lifeless corpse at the gates of Hogwarts with a little note attached. Oh yes! This would be his finest moment, his biggest accomplishment, bringing forth the destruction of Harry Potter.
So he formed his plan not really knowing when he would be able to carry it out but knowing to always be prepared. He knew he needed a place to stay, a place that no one would bother with and The Shrieking Shack provided such a place. No one dared go there for fear that it was haunted and with no working doors or windows it was perfect. He set up simple wards around the place, just enough to alert him to anyone entering the grounds but not strong enough to alert the ministry to them. Once that was all taken care of all that was left was to wait for the opportunity to arise, and he didn't have to wait long. It was weeks later when he placed a quick but simple glamour charm on himself so he could head into Hogsmeade undetected. He had just arrived when he had noticed the mudblood standing there with none other then the Malfoy brat. Oh yes, he hated the Malfoy heir with a passion. He didn't have proof but he was sure that he had something to do with their failed attempt to infiltrate Hogwarts. He watched as the two argued a bit before they each went their separate ways. Keeping a fair distance back he had followed her everywhere waiting for a chance to grab her. Unfortunately it seemed like everyone had to talk with the girl who helped Harry Potter, and he was starting to wonder if she would ever be alone. A few hours and an almost completely faded glamour charm later , he finally had his chance. He watched the girl head into the alley towards The Three Broomsticks, and after quickly checking to make sure no one was watching and making sure that his death eaters mask was in place, he sent a stunning hex at her, dropping her on the spot. He quickly grabbed her, pocketing her wand, and apparated into the shack. Now this was where the real flaw in his plan began. Torture her and kill her, that was all he was going to do, but after watching her for a good portion of the day he couldn't help but notice the womanly figure that the young girl had. *Sure she was a disgusting, filthy mudblood, not worth the dirt on his shoes, but he was still a man, a very sex deprived man. It was then that his plan once again shifted, this time keeping the girl alive but destroying her so badly that Potter would be so enraged that he would vow revenge. Revenge that would lead to his most untimely death. So with that in mind he took the mudwhore. He was surprised to find she was a virgin but at the same time it made it all so much sweeter, knowing he was taking something that was most likely very important to her. He listened to her screams of protests as he pounded into her making sure to make it as painful as possible for her. He listened to her pleads for him to stop as he crucioed her and beat her all the while still fucking her relentlessly until she finally passed out. He soon finished and removed himself from her, fixing his pants as he got up. He sneered down at her wanting more then anything to kill her right then and there, but alas that would have ruined his plan. He threw her wand into a corner, knowing she would need it to get out since he had blocked the passage that led to the Whomping willow. Then he hid in one of the other rooms and waited until he watched the horrified girl wake up, grab her things and apparated out.*
It was all supposed to be quite simple really. He figured she would go back to the school, run straight into the scarred freaks arms and tell him everything that happened causing him to go into a furious rage and take revenge upon her attacker. What he didn't expect was for the muddy little bitch to go all valiant and protect her little friend from the truth. That fact is what had sent him to his first victim. He had been pissed off and decided to go torture a few mudbloods when he saw her. At first he thought it was her, the same hair, curves, so he grabbed her, only realizing it wasn't her when he apparated them to the shack. He decided if he couldn't get to her then this one would do, and he proceeded to torture, rape, and kill the girl. He felt alive again after that night and it became his knew hobby so to speak, with him hunting a new girl every few nights.
Antonin stood up and walked over to a small desk kicking the dead body as he passed it. He grabbed the bottle of Ogdens and brought the bottle to his lips taking a long pull from it. Unfortunately the ministry had caught on to him so he was not able to get his fix as often and that was why he was so furious. He needed to end this, he needed to kill the mudblood and soon but in order to do that he would need to lure her to him. But how? He let everything he knew and everything he had learned about the mudblood run through his head. A small smirk formed across his face as an idea started to form in his mind.
Maybe the Malfoy boy will serve a purpose to me after all.
So ... questions? Comments? Was it too much? Not enough? My inquiring mind needs to know what you are all thinking so please feel free to tell me in a lovely review.